‘Why do I keep coming back?’ – Mikaela Shiffrin calls out haters after social media abuse

ByBen Snowball

Published 17/02/2022 at 14:02 GMT

She is undoubtedly one of the headline acts of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, but it has largely been an Olympics to forget for the American star. Shiffrin was in the medal hunt going into the slalom section of the combined event, but crashed after a promising start as her podium hopes vanished again. The 26-year-old will attempt to leave China with a medal in the team event on Saturday.

Mikaela Shiffrin has hit out at vicious social media abuse she has received after she crashed out again at Beijing 2022.

The American’s miserable Olympics continued on Thursday as she bowed out in the combined, fresh from failing to get past the fifth gate in the slalom and giant slalom.

The two-time Olympic champion shared a selection of the appalling criticism – including users calling her a “disgrace”, “arrogant” and a “dumb blonde” who should retire.

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Shiffrin, who will sign off her Games in the mixed team parallel event, also finished ninth in the super-G and 18th in the downhill.

• Shiffrin loans Goggia’s skis and ‘almost cries’ at note left by Italian
• ‘No words’ - Shiffrin records another DNF as Gisin defends combined crown

‘I don’t have a really good explanation!’ – Shiffrin after third DNF

Addressing her followers on social media, Shiffrin said: “Get up because you can, because you like what you do when it’s not infested with the people who have so much apparent hate for you. Just get up.

“It’s not always easy, but it’s also not the end of the world to fail. Fail twice. Fail five times. At the Olympics. (Enter me…)

“Why do I keep coming back? Gosh knows it hurts more than it feels good lately. I come back because those first nine turns today were spectacular, really heaven.

“That’s where I’m meant to be and I’m stubborn as s**t. So let’s go for some team event training tomorrow, and then the final Alpine race of this Olympics on Saturday.”

Shiffrin has 47 World Cup slalom event wins to her name, having also won the 2014 Olympic gold and four world championships in this discipline.

She is regarded as one of the most consistent skiers of all time, but unfortunately for the 26-year-old these Games have been one to forget so far.

'I'm so sad for her, she's the number one in the world' - Masnada on Shiffrin

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Watch every moment of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on discovery+

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